​Advice on Moving Across Country
Written by: Corinne DiOrio

As I write this post, I’ve begun the journey of moving from New York to California. After spending my childhood on the east end of Long Island and my college years in Manhattan, I needed a break from the hustle and bustle of New York. I need a place where the sun can shine every day and the people walk slower. I’ve always wanted to move to California, but it felt more like a distant dream rather than a reality. In case you were thinking about making the move, I wanted to share some tips I’ve accumulated in the process of planning and leaving my home state.

1. Finding a place to stay
   If you’re like me, you’re going without an apartment because apartment hunting while living forty-five hours away can be difficult if you don’t have the funds to travel between states in the meantime. I chose to rent out a “long-stay” AirBnb. This will allow you to live there with a pre-paid apartment (as long as six months), while you search for a job and/or an apartment. Of course there are other options to consider! If you have friends or family who live there, you can stay with them. I’ve heard that couch-surfing is basically a right of passage in California. If that’s not option, check out WWOOF, a company that allows you to work on farms throughout the world in exchange for housing. Be sure to read all reviews on your host before choosing. If you do choose to get an apartment beforehand, make sure the place is legitimate and never send money to someone who doesn’t feel trustworthy!

2.Saving, saving, saving
You’ll need to start saving at least six months in advance. The amount of money you’ll need depends on how you get there/where you are living when you do get there. As for me, I drove, so I had to calculate how much money I would approximately spend on gas, tolls, food and hotels along the way! Besides saving from my part-time job during school, I also utilized selling apps. They’re easy to use and you can make money while cleaning out your closet.
3.Homesickness
Homesickness is a very real, very hard emotion to deal with when you move so far away. You might cry, you might even want to go home the moment you leave your town. But just remember, that feeling fades. It is okay to miss people, but there was a reason you wanted to leave, and nothing is permanent. A hometown is always a home. If you can, planning trips back, or having friends and family plan a trip to you in advance is good way to ease your homesickness. It’ll give you something to look forward to. Keeping in touch on your phone is also essential and can really bring you closer to those you left behind.
4.Safety
Traveling to another state can be intimidating, so it’s important to make sure you stay conscious of your safety. Be aware of your surroundings in secluded areas, know the crime-rate in that city and make sure you know and are following the laws of each specific state. Always carry your phone on you and keep your valuables close or locked away. Have a first aid-kit handy and research nearby hospitals in case of an emergency.
5.Packing
Depending on your living situation when you get to the city you are moving to, you may have to pack light. It is important to have a good understanding of the weather in that state so you can choose what kind of clothing items to bring. You’ll also want to pack personal items and some small appliances if you can. If possible, bring items to someone’s house that you would want sent to your new location. This could save a lot space and make your move go smoother. Of course, you can also rent a moving truck, or pack your car as tightly as possible!
6.Push Yourself
Despite all the packing, planning, homesickness and all stresses in general, you must push yourself! Remind yourself why you wanted to move in the first place and enjoy exploring another part of the country.
Edited by Rachael Teelander 

First World Problems
By Emily Chance

One of the worst things about life is that something bad will always happen, and those bad things usually come in threes. The worst part about these bad things in threes is that they occur regardless of your attempts to make everything good and right again.

I’ve been trying to turn my life around for the better, and all I feel is a deep sadness that goes away for a little while when I’m keeping myself busy, but always returns when I’m alone with my thoughts.

I try to work out, but I get injured or have skin complications. I go to a doctor for health issues and they turn me away saying “it’s probably nothing,” then charge me over $100 for visiting because of a worry. I try to find a new job, but the job I really want and really need wants a recommendation from my boss. I can’t ask my boss for a recommendation because I don’t want them to know I’m quitting my less than minimum wage job in order to pursue something that would help me out further in the future, such as a quality education. If they were to find out I was actively searching for jobs, they might fire me before I have another job lined up to go into or they might treat me differently than the other employees they have.

I know these are first world problems, but it doesn’t make it easier when you’re trying the best you can to accomplish something and it all turns to crap in your hands. I just want to be happy again, but in order to do that, I need to change certain aspects of my life. However, every time I try to change something, something else pops up to block that change.

Sometimes I feel like life gets its fuel from personal failures. Sometimes I just lie in bed and accept that, but I hate feeling defeated. I try to better my existence, but life gets in the way with death, poverty, illness, or hate. I try to be strong, and I try to retaliate and better my existence out of spite, but I also know it’s okay to just curl up into the fetal position and cry. In fact, sometimes it is necessary.
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I don’t wish to burden anyone with any of my own issues. I know everyone in the world has their own version of the terrible threes. I just want everyone to know that whatever they’re going through, they are not alone. It is okay to cry and want to give up, but is in the best interest of everyone to push through and keep fighting for the better existence. Surely life can’t keep us all down.
 
Edited by: Reagan Greenwood